Cink finishes strongly to end hopes of chasing pack

US TOUR: Stewart Cink won the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut, after a solid final 18 holes.

Entering the final round with a two-shot lead, Cink squandered the advantage before regaining it to win by one shot over 2007 champion Hunter Mahan and Tommy Armour III.

Cink carded a three-under-par 67 to finish at 18-under-par, having also won this tournament in 1997 when it was known as the Greater Hartford Open.

Overcoming a brief weather delay during the final round, Cink carded four birdies and a bogey.

The American endured his lone bogey at the par-four fourth hole, then was flawless the rest of the way as he collected the first prize of €640,000.

It was Cink's fifth career title and his first since 2004, who finished fifth last week at the US Open.

Londoner Brian Davis carded a final round of 66 to lift himself to 11 under and a share of 12th place.

Fellow Englishman Justin Rose had a 67 to finish a stroke behind in a tie for 19th place.

CHALLENGE TOUR:David Horsey captured his maiden European Challenge Tour title with a one-shot victory at the Telenet Trophy on a day of high drama.

Needing to birdie the par-five 18th at Limburg Golf and Country Club in Houthalen, Belgium, to avoid a play-off with Wil Besseling of the Netherlands and Denmark's Soren Juul, who had both finished on 18-under-par 270, Horsey found the heart of the green with his approach shot and duly two putted to become the 15th different winner on this season's Challenge Tour Schedule.

Horsey's cheque for € 22,400 also saw the Englishman climb into the top-10 of the Challenge Tour Rankings, and put him in sight of a place on The European Tour next season.

He said: "It's a brilliant feeling. To be honest I struggled a bit to start with today. But I hung in there, and finished strongly with three birdies in closing holes.

Besseling, already a winner on the Challenge Tour this season, signed for a round of 67, whilst Juul's round of 63 - which equalled the course record - was the lowest of the day. Italy's Michele Reale and Inder van Weerelt of the Netherlands finished in a tie for fourth place on 16-under-par 272.

Michael McGeady shot 67 for 274 and Michael McDermott 69 for 280.

LET TOUR:England's Rebecca Hudson birdied the third extra hole of a sudden-death play-off against Anne-Lise Caudal from France to capture the Tenerife Ladies Open at Golf Costa Adeje yesterday.

Hudson, 29, began the final round one shot behind Caudal and posted a final round 69 in regulation play to finish on 10-under-par 278.

Caudal, who won the previous week's tournament in Portugal, was a shot ahead with one hole to play, but bogeyed the par-five 18th after hitting her second shot into a greenside bunker, from where she took four shots to get down. She signed for a final round 70.

Both players birdied the 472-yard 18th hole at the first extra hole of asking and both made pars on the 18th at the second attempt, both players just missing their birdie chances.

After Caudal took four at the third extra hole, the 377-yard par-four 17th, Hudson sank her three foot birdie putt claiming her second individual Ladies European Tour title and a first prize of € 45,000.

It was her first LET victory since the 2006 OTP Bank Ladies European Open in Hungary, although she also won the European Cup in Spain in April, which was a team event.

European number one Gwladys Nocera shot a final round 68 to finish on a total of seven-under-par 281 and shared third with Spanish amateur Carlota Ciganda, who led at the halfway stage of the tournament and had a final round of 71.

Martina Gillen finsihed on one-over-par 289 after a final round of 71 while Rebecca Coakley shot 75 for 297.